1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to an ice maker assembly for a refrigerator.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
It is now common practice in the art of refrigerators to provide an automatic ice maker within a freezer compartment of a refrigerator, wherein the ice maker is linked to a water supply line used to fill an ice cube tray which is emptied into a bin following a freezing period. The stored ice can be retrieved directly from the bin located in the freezer compartment or the refrigerator can incorporate a dispensing arrangement wherein the ice is directed into a recessed receiving area formed in a front panel of the refrigerator by the selective activation of a drive unit, such as a rotatable auger, located in the bin. Most often, such ice dispensing arrangements incorporate a mechanism whereby the ice can be selectively crushed prior to reaching the receiving area.
Typically, the overall ice maker unit is fixed within the freezer compartment with the bin arranged beneath the unit. The level of ice maintained in the bin is generally established by a variable position bale arm which projects into the bin. As the level of ice in the bin rises, the bale arm is shifted. When a prerequisite amount of ice is present, the bale arm functions to terminate the production of additional ice. In any event, the fixed mounting of the ice maker unit represents a design constraint on the overall design of the freezer compartment.
In at least one known arrangement as represented by U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,624, the amount of ice produced and stored in a bin is controlled, not by shifting a bale arm relative to an ice maker unit, but by actually shifting the entire ice maker unit relative to the bin. Although this arrangement does enable adjusting the positioning of an ice maker, since the bin is essentially fixed, the arrangement is actually more detrimental to the storage capacity and design of the freezer compartment as more space must be dedicated to accommodate desired adjustments. That is, a substantial amount of space is maintained available above the ice maker is enable shifting of the unit when desired. Regardless of whether the unit is ever adjusted, a substantial amount of potential storage space is dedicated to the system.
Based on the above, there exists a need in the art for an ice maker assembly which can be readily, vertically repositioned is a simple manner, preferably as desired by the consumer, in order to easily reconfigure the overall storage design of a refrigerator freezer compartment. In addition, there exists a need for a versatile and efficiently configured ice maker assembly which, while being vertically adjustable, still enhances the overall food storage arrangement in the freezer compartment. Particularly, there exists a need for enabling an entire ice maker assembly, including the ice maker unit and bin, to be vertically adjustable such that the amount of space which needs to be dedicated to the system is unchanged.
The present invention is directed to an ice maker assembly that is adapted to be selectively, vertically adjustable within a freezer compartment of a refrigerator. The ice maker assembly includes an ice maker unit supported beneath a shelf of the assembly. Both the shelf and the ice maker unit are preferably suspended from a pair of spaced, vertically extending support rails arranged within the freezer compartment. The assembly also includes a slidably supported bin located below the ice maker unit into which ice, developed by the ice maker unit, is ejected.
In accordance with the most preferred form of the invention, the assembly includes a pair of spaced support arms that can be cantilevered from the support rails provided on a back wall of the refrigerator freezer. Extending across the top of the arms is the shelf which is preferably transparent. The arms also slidably support the bin that is adapted to store the ice. The ice maker is actually supported by a back plate attached to the support arms, while being electrically connected to a power supply port provided at the back wall of the freezer compartment. A water fill tube is also directed to the ice maker.
With this construction, the overall ice maker assembly generally appears as a combination shelf and bin arrangement in the freezer compartment. The ice maker assembly can be readily, vertically adjusted as an integral unit, with the range of adjustability being merely limited by the electrical and water connections. Preferably, the ice maker assembly can be repositioned between an upper portion of the freezer compartment to a substantially mid-level position.